Martin Luther's Authority of Councils and Churches, Tr. by C.B. Smyth

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1847 edition. Excerpt: ... THE THIRD PART. There is as loud a clamour raised in exaltation of the Church as is spread to extol fathers and councils; whilst the minds of men know not what their true character is, and our ears are stunned with the empty sound of words. But let the Romanists explain to us what the Church is--which is the Church --and where the Church is. Their great object has been to represent themselves as the Church in the persons of their pontiff, cardinals, bishops, and priests. We must set aside, then, the various treatises and definitions of the word Church, and take our stand upon the creed which declares--" I believe one holy Christian Church, the Communion of Saints." The creed clearly declares what the Church is--namely, the Communion of Saints; and the word Ecclesia signifies a congregation of persons--Jews, Gentiles, or Christians, Now, there are many communities in the world; but Christians are a peculiar people, and do not import any mere assembly: Ecclesia--they are Santta CathoKca, Christiana Ecclesia--a holy, Catholic, Christian Church, daily sanctified by the Divine Spirit, not merely through the forgiveness of sins, (as the Antinomians foolishly vaunt); but by the destruction, purification, and mortification of iniquity; and such persons as compose the whole Christian body, in the Old Testament, were called "The people of God." But whilst we use this unintelligible word Church, the lower orders of men of every rank fix at once on the edifice constructed with large stones, as you see it represented in paintings and # described in print. Let us dismiss this idea of the Church, with painted apostles, disciples, and the mother of Christ--let us discard pictures of the day of Pentecost, and of the Holy Spirit hovering over their heads....